The Stranger
The Stranger (credited as the "Flamethrower Guy", real name Jack), is a hermit that lives on Blackwood Mountain, hunting and trapping the Wendigos that inhabit it. He was voiced and motion captured by game producer Larry Fessenden. Appearance The Stranger has long neck-length, graying hair, and a scar over his right eye, likely acquired from a Wendigo. He wears thick clothes to protect himself from the elements, and when wielding his flamethrower, he dons a bandana and goggles as protection against the flames' heat. Personality Despite outward appearances, he is not a malevolent character. He is charitable and tells the survivors about the Wendigos despite having a vendetta against the Washington Family. He is adept at hunting the creatures, which he devoted his life to. He is also savvy in hand-to-hand combat and wielding weapons as he is able to disarm Chris or Mike with ease. Until Dawn Biography Before the events of the game, the Stranger's grandfather spent much of his life hunting and trapping the Wendigos that inhabited the mountain. His grandfather was unable to capture the fiercest of the Wendigos and died while attempting to trap it. Involvement 'One Year Ago' On the night of Hannah and Beth's disappearance, the Stranger had finally tracked down the Wendigo that killed his grandfather. After noticing the girls, he realized they were being chased by it, and tried to save them. Unfortunately, he was too late as they fell off of a cliff while trying to escape the Wendigo. Stricken with grief and anger, the Stranger killed the monster, avenging the girls and his grandfather at the cost of releasing its spirit. [[Chapter 1|'Chapter 1']] During a radio podcast, the Stranger is mentioned by Sheriff Annie Cline, who describes him as a person of interest regarding the disappearance of the twin sisters. He had warned the family about pursuing their construction project on the mountain, claiming the land was sacred to his forefathers. The Stranger watches Sam from a distance as she gets off of the bus. Based on the human-like vision and breathing that make up the alternate camera angles along the path to the cabin and outside of the cabin itself, he is likely watching from the woods as the main characters arrive. At the end of the chapter, he can be seen riding up to Blackwood Pines in the cable car. [[Chapter 2|'Chapter 2']] The Stranger follows Jessica and Mike up to the cabin. He can be seen behind Mike after he starts up the generator and when he jumps into the mines after Jessica. He is also seen watching Matt and Emily as they search for her bag. Chapter 3 The Stranger is mentioned on the back of a Native American Letter by Melinda Washington, who recalls seeing a crazy guy hanging around the generator shed. [[Chapter 4|'Chapter 4']] After Mike chases after Jessica's attacker in the mines, he sees the Stranger walking out of the mines and toward the Sanatorium. Mike attempts to shoot him, thinking that he had killed Jessica, but his gun will jam, regardless of previous usage of the gun. [[Chapter 5|'Chapter 5']] Mike follows the Stranger to the Sanatorium and watches him head inside. Mike continues to follow him and sees him inside the locked Chapel. After Mike finds a key card to the Chapel, he watches him disappear through a gated door and follows him yet again. [[Chapter 7|'Chapter 7']] As Emily makes her way through the mines, the sounds of the Stranger's flamethrower and a Wendigo screeching can repeatedly be heard. After she finds her way to the top of the caverns, she notices him standing around the corner. She attempts to run away from him but hits a dead end, where the Stranger confronts her. [[Chapter 8|'Chapter 8']] The Stranger hands Emily a pack of flares and tells her to get out of the mines. Soon afterwards, he manages to escape the mines and heads to the lodge. He breaks in and tells the remaining survivors to listen to what he has to say. He explains that the mountain is cursed, and anyone who succumbs to cannibalism will unleash the spirit of the Wendigo and transform into one. He tells them to find somewhere safe to wait until dawn. This prompts Mike to remember that he left Josh tied up in the shed. The Stranger tells them that Josh will already be dead, but Chris insists on going after him. The Stranger tells Chris that going alone outside is suicide and offers to come with him. The Stranger and Chris walk to the shed and find that Josh has already been taken away by the Wendigo. As the Stranger warns Chris to get back to the lodge immediately, he discovers that a Wendigo has tracked them. At first, the Stranger tells Chris to stand still. Regardless whether Chris moves or not, the Wendigo notices both of them. The Stranger tries to burn the Wendigo but misses. Knowing they are out in the open, the Stranger frantically tells Chris they must get out of here. Before the Stranger could act, the Wendigo decapitates him. Back at the lodge, the survivors find the Stranger's belongings. Among them is a map of Blackwood Pines and a journal detailing his experiences with the Wendigo. The journal tells the survivors that the Wendigo can only see people when they move, the only sure way to kill them is with fire, they can imitate people's voices, their bites are not infectious, and that whenever possible, they should be captured, not killed. [[Chapter 10|'Chapter 10']] Sam and Mike find the Stranger's body hanging from the cavern ceiling on their way to find Josh. If Josh survives until dawn, he will become trapped in the mines and eat the Stranger's body, either for survival purposes or under the influence of the multiple Wendigo spirits that have been released. Killed Victims *Makkapitew *6 Wendigos (may include Makkapitew) Death Shortly after leaving the shed with Chris, they are attacked by a Wendigo. In an attempt to defend himself and Chris, the Stranger then fires his flamethrower, which the Wendigo dodges. It then flies toward him swiftly, thus decapitating his head, and killing him instantly. Trivia * The Stranger says that the Wendigo immobilizes its prey and later eats it alive. This style of death is however not seen in the game, indicating he just made it up to scare Chris or, rather morbidly, is referring how his grandfather (possibly) died at the hands of Makkapitew. * The Stranger had used the machete that Mike finds. * His real name is Jack, as confirmed by the developers on a livestream on Twitch. * The Stranger and his grandfather may have been based on early 20th Century Wendigo hunters Jack and Joseph Fiddler. The old newspaper clipping about his grandfather’s death mentions the grandfather’s last name being Fiddler (locals referred to him as Mad Dog Fiddler). ** With the Stranger's name being Jack, his last name probably is Fiddler, with it being a homage to the real-life Wendigo hunter. * Larry Fessenden, the actor for The Stranger, was also one of the major writers of the game. * Interestingly, Larry Fessenden both wrote and directed the 2001 film Wendigo. Gallery Stranger1.png|The Stranger watching Mike and Jessica by the generator. Stranger2.png|Mike following The Stranger. Stranger3.png|Mike watching The Stranger in the Blackwood Sanatorium. EmilyStranger.png|The Stranger helping Emily escape from a Wendigo. Stranger4.png|The Stranger entering the lodge, informing the group about the Wendigo. Stranger5.png|The Stranger joking about Chris's shooting skills. Stranger6.png|The Stranger warning Chris about a nearby Wendigo. Stranger7.png|The Stranger killed by a Wendigo. Stranger8.png|Mike and Sam discovering The Stranger's body. Category:Male Category:Characters Category:Deceased Characters Category:Supporting Characters